Zootopia - Partners
by DreamSoliloquy
Summary: Just my thoughts about what might have happened next. May end up being NxJ. As Nick starts his ZPD training his loyalties to his old friends are tested...
1. Chapter 1

Officer Judy Hopps strolled through the double doors of the police station, her eyes lighting up as she sighed happily. It felt good to be back. Her leg was still in bandages after her injury on the night howler case, but her doctor had pronounced her well enough to go back to work and Chief Bogo had willingly accepted her back onto the force.

"Hi Clawhauser!" she called "How's it going?"

"Judeee!" Clawhauser called over to her, putting his cinnamon doughnut down on the box in front of him. "It is _so good_ to see you! How are you? We were all totally impressed with how you handled the case! All on your own too!"

"Well, thanks," Judy said, smoothing her paw over her ear in embarrassment, "but I wasn't really on my own - I couldn't have done it without Nick."

"Oh yeah! Nick Wilde, right? He's started police training! He's one funny guy!"

"Yeah I know, he told me he'd started." Judy smiled as she thought of her fox friend – he'd been round to visit during her recovery period, sidling into her room with a big bunch of flowers. "Well, I'd better report for duty. See you later Clawhauser!"

She had started to walk over to the briefing room when Clawhauser called back to her "Hopps, wait! There's a letter for you, I almost forgot! It's here somewhere…" he rummaged around in the paperwork on one side of the desk, and then handed her a small white envelope addressed to 'Officer Hopps'. Judy took it and brushed the sugar crumbs off it before opening it. It read:

'Dear Officer Hopps,

I'd just like to thank you personally for finding my husband, Emmitt Otterton, and returning him home. The night howler antidote has worked well and he is now fully recovered. We saw you and your friend Mr Wilde on television, and we are so grateful that you took on the case.

We would both like to thank you in person, and we want to invite you and Mr Wilde round to dinner at our house. Emmitt is due to be released from observation at the hospital on the 16th, so if all goes well it would be wonderful to have a small celebration of his recovery that evening – please do let us know if you can attend.

Yours,

Evangeline Otterton.'

"Awww." Judy smiled and refolded the letter into its envelope, tucking it into her belt and jogging to roll-call.

In the briefing room she hopped onto her chair in the front row, ignoring some of the stares she received from the other officers. Chief Bogo walked into the room and glanced down at his notes "Right then. First, we have an officer to congratulate. Officer Hopps, well done on solving your first case." The room burst into noises of approval; trumpeting, howling and clapping. The rhino sitting beside her thumped her on the back – she braced her paws on the table to stop her head hitting the desk.

"Alright, alright." Officer Bogo called. "Right, now as you know it's the new mayor's inaugural speech this afternoon, and we need to check the security arrangements for it. This morning we're patrolling the route and area, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. Then we'll come back here for lunch, and back out again for the real thing this afternoon. Any questions? Good, let's go."

Judy and the other officers spent the morning strolling through Savannah Central as instructed, familiarising themselves with the parade route. It was an easy morning's work.

At lunch time Judy grabbed a tray of vegetable stew from the canteen, and looked around for somewhere to sit. Suddenly she spotted Nick sitting at the far end of the room by himself. She bounded over to him "Nick!"

He looked up and grinned "Hey Carrots! I was wondering when you would show up."

"First day back." She said, climbing onto the seat opposite him. "Managed without me?"

He rolled his eyes "Carrots, I managed on the streets for ten years before you turned up. I think I can handle a few obstacle courses."

"Uh-huh." She looked sceptically at him "so you won't be needing this muscle balm that I just happened to bring in then?" she held a tub of soothing cream just out of his reach.

"Well, I suppose I could try it…" he answered, trying to grab the little pot, and then groaning as he felt his shoulder muscles strain. "Okay, you win, training hurts, now give me the balm? Please?"

Judy laughed and handed it over "Here. If you need someone to do your back, you know where to find me."

"Ha, you just want an excuse to see me shirtless." He smirked at her.

"That depends. Have you managed to get any decent abs yet?"

"Hey! I am offended by that remark. How do you know I didn't have 'decent abs' as you say, before?"

"Fair point." She nodded, took a mouthful of stew and chewed thoughtfully. Then she looked up "Did you?"

"I don't think that's something an innocent little bunny should be wondering about." He smirked, and reached across the table to pat her head.

She was unimpressed "That's a no then."

"You're incorrigible."

She decided it was time to change the subject, so she passed him the letter from Mrs Otterton. "Here, read this. Want to go?"

He scanned the letter, and looked up thoughtfully "Could be nice. You want to?"

"Yeah," she nodded enthusiastically "Mrs Otterton is lovely. She believed that I could solve the case when no-one else did."

Nick frowned "I believed in you."

"Only after I clamped your buggy, blackmailed you, and stood up to Mr Big." She reminded him.

He tilted his head, acknowledging her point. "Anyway, the 16th is this Saturday – you'd better reply to the Ottertons to let them know we can make it."

"I will. She's put a phone number on the bottom of the letter – I'll call her later."


	2. Chapter 2

On Saturday Judy and Nick sat together eating lunch, as had become their custom over the last few days.

"So shall I pick you up after work tonight?" Judy asked.

"What, in your meter maid car?" Nick smirked "I doubt I'd even fit."

"Actually, they've given me a proper patrol car now." She polished her police badge with her paw "A big 4x4." She paused and then admitted "Although I do have to use a booster seat to drive it."

"Ha! Alright then, but we'll need to stop off at my place so I can change out of uniform."

"Yeah I'll need to change as well. And we should pick up something to take as a gift."

"Flowers?" Nick suggested.

"Mr Otterton is a florist, you dumb fox. He'll have more flowers than he knows what to do with."

"Bottle of wine?"

"Better." She smiled at him. "How are your muscles?"

"Better. Thanks for the balm."

"No problem." Judy scrambled out of her seat, and went to stack her tray at the side of the canteen. On her way back she suddenly jumped up onto the back of Nick's chair, gave his shoulders a quick squeeze, and bounded off again. "See you later!" she called.

"Hey! Come back here!" He called after her, but she didn't turn round. He muttered to himself "If you're going to give someone a massage you may as well do it properly."

"I heard that!" she whipped round and winked at him "Ask me later – some of us have got work to do!"

Judy spent the afternoon watching CCTV footage to try and detect a pickpocket who was operating in the rodent tubes. By five o'clock her eyes were hurting, but she was pretty sure the culprit was a chubby hamster and she hurried over to the publicity office to get a search photo put out. She took one from the printer thinking she would show it to Nick. As he often boasted, he knew most mammals in the city, and he might be able to save her some time by identifying the hamster for her.

Nick was waiting for her at the doors out of the station. "How about you finish that massage now, Carrots? We were doing the ice wall today and I hurt."

"Nope, we've got to get going." Judy smiled up at him and skipped ahead to where her car was parked. Nick trailed behind her, grumbling as he climbed slowly into the passenger seat.

"Aww, poor fox." Judy reached up to pat him on the head "Tell nurse Judy where it hurts."

"Everywhere." He answered, trying to hide his smile.

"You need to toughen up."

"I'm trying to!"

Judy laughed. "Here." She passed him the photo of the hamster pickpocket "Recognise this guy?"

"Ye-es…"

"What?"

"I assume he's a wanted criminal now, huh?"

Judy carefully steered the big vehicle out of the car park and into the stream of rush-hour traffic. "Yep, he's a pickpocket."

"Uh-huh."

"So who is he?"

"Come on Judy," Nick said pleadingly "You can't expect me to turn in all my old pals!"

"Nick Wilde!" she braked hard at a traffic light and turned to stare at him "You are a police officer-in-training, and it is your _job_ to bring criminals to justice!" her tone softened "Didn't you ever think this would be a conflict of interest for you?"

"I don't know…" he scratched his ear "It didn't seem to be a problem on the night howler case, and I've been in training since then. I guess I just thought I could…work round it somehow."

Judy shook her head. "Well I can't force you to tell me." She didn't look at him as she drove across the junction and turned right.

After a short silence Nick said in a monotone "Jeremy Muncher. Lives in tiny town, down the dodgy end of Brick Street."

He was rewarded with a soft smile from Judy. "Thanks." She paused "I'll try not to ask again."

"No, you're right – I'm going to have to think about this sometime. I just hope you never get Finnick for anything!"

They drove in silence for a few moments, until Judy punched the radio button and Gazelle's new single filled the car. Soon they pulled up outside Nick's flat in a converted garage by the side of a bridge.

"You realise your home looks like a drug dealer's den?" Judy commented.

"You realise that is an offensively stereotypical comment?" Nick shot back at her, smirking as he scrambled out of the car "Anyway, it's much nicer inside. Want to check it out?"

She locked the car and followed him into the building. Nick left her to look around as he went into his bedroom to change. The main room was open plan, with a kitchen unit at one side and a sofa and a couple of comfy-looking chairs on the other side. Everything was made of wood and fabric in natural colours.

"It's a very nice flat." Judy said as Nick re-emerged in his typical Hawaiian print shirt and short chinos "especially for someone with such poor fashion sense!"

"Hey!" he looked down at himself doubtfully "Do you think I should change?"

"No, you look just fine." She jumped onto the table next to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Come on."

Next they stopped at Judy's block of flats, where she raced upstairs to her room to change into a summery dress with small blue flowers printed on it. She paused in front of the mirror to smooth her fur, and then ran back downstairs to the car.

Nick's eyes widened as she jumped in. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing. Uh. Nice dress." He said quickly.

"Thanks." She smiled at him and they drove off. After picking up a bottle of red wine from a local store they pulled up outside the Ottertons' house.


	3. Chapter 3

With a slightly apprehensive look at his partner, Nick rang the Ottertons' doorbell.

After a few seconds Mrs Otterton opened the door wearing a flowery apron, and ushered them inside saying "Oh do come in! I'm so glad you could both make it."

Judy presented the bottle of wine they had brought, and Mrs Otterton thanked them, and guided them into the living room. Mr Otterton was standing in the centre of the cosy room, along with some other guests who had already arrived. "Ah, my heroes!" he said when he saw them, coming over to shake them both warmly by the hand. "Of course, technically we've already met, although under quite different circumstances." He looked serious for a moment "I can't thank you enough for getting me home again."

"We're glad to see you recovered so well, sir." Judy answered.

"Oh, call me Emmitt!" he said, putting a hand on Nick's shoulder.

"And do please call me Evangeline." Mrs Otterton said. "Now, let me get you a drink and Emmitt can introduce you to everyone. Wine for you both? Red or white?"

Nick and Judy both asked for glasses of red, and Evangeline bustled out to the kitchen to get them. Emmitt steered them both round the room introducing people "This is Percy, who works in the greengrocer's shop next to mine," they nodded to a fat beaver who was monopolising the nuts; "Manny and Leslie who we've known since university," an elegant badger couple smiled at them from beside the window; "and last but certainly not least, Ben from my yoga class."

"Hey dudes. Sup?" A rabbit said from where he was slumped on the sofa. His eyes looked slightly red around the edges.

"Hi Ben." Judy said brightly.

At that moment Evangeline Otterton reappeared with glasses of wine for her and Nick. "Here you are dear," she said, passing a glass to Judy "I see you're getting to know our friend Ben! Why don't you take a seat," she gestured to the sofa next to the other rabbit, who looked at Judy blearily. "And Nick, you should come and talk to Percy – I'm sure you two will have lots to talk about, we hear you used to be in the popsicle business, and Percy sells ice-cream from his shop in summer!" Judy watched as Evangeline steered her friend over to the nut-munching beaver.

Summoning up her reserves of enthusiasm Judy turned back to Ben "So, Ben, you do yoga?"

"Uh-huh." He drawled, blinking slowly "It's, like, meditative."

"Great!" Close up she could see that the other rabbit's fur looked matted and unkempt, and he smelt distinctly of dandelions, which were a popular legal drug amongst Zootopia's rabbit population. Judy desperately tried to revive the conversation "So that's at the Mystic Springs club, right?"

"Yeah."

"We visited there to get evidence for the night howler case. We met Yax, and your yoga teacher Nangi."

"Yax is a cool guy." Judy waited to see if he would say anything else, but so much conversation seemed to have exhausted him. She suppressed a sigh, and looked over to where Nick was looking awkward talking to Percy the beaver and Emmitt. He caught her eye and raised one eyebrow. She flicked her eyes at Ben, who seemed to be taking a nap, and then mouthed 'save me!' at her fox friend. Nick glanced round at the other mammals surrounding him, and shrugged apologetically. Judy rolled her eyes at him.

After a few more moments, during which Judy and Ben sat in silence, Evangeline called them in to dinner. Judy's heart sank as she saw that there were neat little place-cards in front of every seat – and sure enough, hers was next to Ben's. Nick was sat further down the table, between the badger couple.

Evangeline brought out dishes of soup for a starter, and topped up everyone's wine glasses. The food was delicious, but Judy was distracted by Ben's slurping. After a while he looked around and said "I'm, like, really uncomfortable in this shirt." He scratched around his collar "I thought this was going to be a naturist party, but maybe we save that for later, yeah?" he nodded at her, as if completing a transaction.

She shuddered "No! Erm, I'm not a…a naturist. I don't think it's that kind of party at all!"

"Oh." He shrugged, and went back to his soup.

At the end of the first course Judy offered to help Mrs Otterton with the dishes, and Nick promptly volunteered as well. As they carried the bowls through Nick whispered to her "So how are you enjoying your bunny date?"

"I swear they're trying to set me up with him!" she hissed "What am I going to do?"

"Aw," Nick smirked at her "I think you two make quite the cute couple."

"Nick! That is _not funny_!"

"Isn't he your type?"

"He's a nudist druggie! That is _so_ not my type."

"What is your type?" Nick asked, genuinely curious.

"I'd settle for someone who at least brushes their fur once in a while."

At that point Evangeline entered the kitchen and they had to curtail their conversation. The rest of the meal passed relatively uneventfully, and Judy managed to have quite an enjoyable conversation with Leslie the badger about her job as a fashion designer. Emmitt regaled them all with stories from his time under observation in the hospital, and everyone gave Nick and Judy a round of applause for their role in his recovery.

At the end of the evening they all thanked the Ottertons for a lovely time, and headed out to their cars. As Nick and Judy were walking to their 4x4 they were waylaid by Ben, who said "Hey, so can I speak to Judy, dude?"

"Yeah?" Nick answered

"Like, alone?" Ben rolled his red-rimmed eyes. Nick and Judy exchanged a glance, Judy shrugged, and Nick strolled ahead to the car, glancing back to make sure she was okay.

"So, can I get your number then?" Ben drawled.

"Um…" she paused, took a deep breath, and then said "Sir, if you ever need police assistance you can contact us on 911 in an emergency, or on your regional police telephone number for less immediate assistance." She ran towards Nick, and jumped into the car, shutting the door firmly before collapsing into giggles.

She rested her head on the steering wheel, laughing, whilst Nick watched concernedly. "Carrots?" he asked tentatively "you okay?"

"He asked for my number!" she said, slightly hysterically.

"And you handled it very well." He said, patting her gingerly on the shoulder.

"Oh Nick!" she laughed, and flung herself into his arms "Never leave me with a weirdo like that again!"

He smiled down at her "I'll do my best. Now, let's get home."

"Oh…" she paused "I think I've had too much to drink."

"Well you are only a little bunny, it's not surprising you can't hold your drink." He smirked "And you have a wine moustache."

"What!" she patted her upper lip with her paws.

"Ha! I'm kidding Carrots, you look great."

"Thanks, partner. But I don't think I'm safe to drive."

"Oh right. That's okay, I'll drive and drop you off – I can bring the car to the station in the morning."

Judy nodded in agreement, and they switched seats. As they pulled up outside Judy's block of flats she leant across to kiss him on the cheek. "Goodnight Nick."


	4. Chapter 4

The following week Judy was put onto the late night/early morning shift – every cop's least favourite job. It meant that her nights were full of arresting drunken brawlers, patrolling dark alleyways, and generally dealing with the sort of mammals who preferred to make a living under the cover of darkness. She stumbled back to her rented rooms at around half past nine every morning and fell into bed.

One afternoon she was woken up by the buzzing of her phone on her bedside table. Looking at the caller ID she saw that it was Nick – her irregular hours meant that she hadn't had much chance to catch up with him lately, as he was still training during the regular police academy hours. She answered the call "Hey."

"Wakey wakey Carrots. Breakfast time!"

"What?" she said blearily "What time is it?"

"Just after five. I've just finished work for today, and I'm coming over to pick you up for the evening."

"Why?"

She could hear her friend laughing down the phone "You know, one of the things I love about you Fluff, is the way you're always so friendly and willing to spend time with your pals."

"Alright alright, I'm getting up."

"Good. See you in twenty." Nick hung up, and Judy groaned, rolling herself out of bed. She was naturally a morning person, and found it difficult to sleep during the day - it made her feel like she was missing out, and she always felt grumpy when she got up in the afternoon. She had a quick shower and threw on shorts and a strappy top; the last few days had been hot. She was barely ready when she heard the bell ring, and she hurried down the stairs to answer it.

She smiled when she saw her fox friend leaning against the door frame in his sunglasses. "Hey, favourite bunny." He said, giving her an uncharacteristic hug "Missed me?"

"A bit." She admitted "I hope you meant it about breakfast – I'm hungry."

"Sure. " He started to lead her along the road. "I know just the place."

They strolled along companionably, Nick talking about how his training was going whilst Judy told him about her night shift work. It sounded as though they could both do with a break. After a few minutes they arrived at a local park, full of couples and families in the late afternoon sun. Nick led the way to a food van which was perfuming the air with delicious smells. The elderly echidna in the van looked up as they approached "And what can I get for you two today?" he asked them.

"I'll get a spicy pizza wrap, please." Nick said.

"And for the lady?" the echidna asked.

"I don't know...what do you recommend?"

"Well I specialise in unusual combinations." The echidna told her "I do a great range of wraps and bagels." he gestured to the menu on the side of the van.

Judy studied the options, and eventually decided "I'll have the sweet 'n' sour bagel please."

The echidna nodded at her, and started to make up their food. Judy rummaged in her bag for her purse, but Nick stopped her. "This one's on me." He said "Seems like you need a bit of a treat."

"Thanks Nick." She smiled at him as he paid and handed her the bagel. She bit into it happily "Mmm, this is delicious! It's not at all like I expected it to taste though!"

"I know right? That guy has some crazy cooking skills – some of the stuff he makes sounds disgusting, but it all tastes great!"

"You sound like you've been there a lot?"

"Oh he moves around. Me and Finnick used to stop off at the end of an evening sometimes."

"How is Finnick these days?" Judy asked as they sat down on the grass under an oak tree "What's he doing without you?"

Nick's face darkened briefly. "I'm not sure." He paused "I haven't heard from him in a while."

"Do you think he's okay?" Judy asked, concerned.

"I'm sure he's just fine." Nick said bitterly. "He just doesn't want to be seen hanging around with a cop."

"Oh." She took a bit of her bagel and chewed thoughtfully "When I joined I got told that a cop often doesn't have many friends outside the force."

"Or in it."

"Nick." She put a paw on his arm "what's wrong? Have they done something to you?"

He sighed deeply "No, no it's nothing. They just don't seem to trust me, which is fair enough I suppose. I mean, not only am I a fox, but I used to be a con artist."

"I trust you."

"But you're different, Fluff." He smiled. They finished their food in silence, and Nick started to frown again. Eventually he burst out "I just don't know where they draw the line!"

"What do you mean?"

"I heard you guys brought Oscar Outback in the other night."

"We did. He'd been organising illegal bull-fights and ran a betting circle that fixed the outcomes."

"I know. But he's not a bad mammal – he's a really nice guy, always helping people out. Whereas some of the cops I've met wouldn't give you the time of day."

"It's not the personality we're policing Nick, it's the behaviour."

"But I'm technically a criminal! You know I owe hundreds of dollars in tax."

"But you're paying it back now."

"Yeah, which is why I'm dirt poor right now." He said, with a trace of his usual humour. "But Oscar could pay back the money he's won illegally – no-one's given him the chance."

"I think he's probably spent most of it by now on his mansion and his girlfriends." Judy said drily.

"You know what I mean Judy."

"I don't know what to tell you." She said "I guess rules are rules – we don't make the law, we just keep it."

"Hmph." Nick scowled.

"Well," Judy stood up and brushed her fur down "I can't make you feel better about it, but I can buy you an ice-cream. What flavour do you want?"

Nick met her eyes, and slowly smiled, shaking his head. "Alright then. Blueberry for me please."


	5. Chapter 5

Judy and Nick walked back from the park as the sun was setting, enjoying the cooling air on their fur. Nick had cheered up considerably after his blueberry ice-cream, and they were throwing idle banter at each other as they strolled along the street. "What are you doing the rest of the evening?" Judy asked as they reached her block of flats.

"Nothing much, back to my apartment for a cup of cocoa and an early bedtime, I guess."

"Do you want to come in for a bit?" she asked, unlocking the front door "Watch a film or something?"

"Film and chill?" he replied, smirking at her "Anyway, I thought you had work?"

"My shift doesn't start for a few hours yet. And film and chill in the strictly literal sense. No funny business or I'll have to use my fox repellent on you!"

"Do you still have that stuff?" Nick asked, frowning.

"I'm kidding Nick. I threw it away right after you left that press conference." Judy looked down, remembering that low point in their friendship.

"Okay. I'll come up for a bit. And I promise no 'funny business'!" he followed her inside and up the stairs "Although you are looking extremely cute in that top."

She whirled round with her paws on her hips "You're not supposed to call a bunny cute, you know."

"You're blushing." He said, tapping her gently on the nose.

"I am not!" she protested, putting her paws over her snout "I must have caught the sun a bit."

"Sure Carrots, whatever."

He grinned at her, and she turned and continued up the stairs with an audible "Hmph. Foxes!" He laughed, and after a moment she did too. They arrived at her rooms, and went in. "Well, this is where I live." She told him "Make yourself comfortable – drink?"

"What have you got?" he asked, climbing onto the bed, essentially the only seating option, and leaning against the wall.

"Beer, juice, water, coffee?"

"A beer would be great actually."

Judy got a couple of cans out of the mini-fridge, cracked one open and handed the other to her friend. Then she joined him on the bed and switched on the TV. "Any film preferences?"

"Murder mystery?"

"I have enough of those at work. Rom-com?"

"Eugh."

"A funny one, not a sappy one."

"Like what?" he asked sceptically.

"Bedlam in the Burrows?"

"Never heard of it."

"I think you'll like it." She flicked it on, and they sat companionably sipping their beers as the film started. It was about a couple of bunnies who had fallen in love when their burrows accidentally joined up. Unfortunately their extended families were causing problems with the match, and of course hilarity ensued. After a while Judy felt Nick start to chuckle quietly beside her, and after a while they were both roaring with laughter.

As the movie reached its inevitable romantic ending, Judy leant against her friend with a sigh. She felt Nick tentatively put his arm around her, but she didn't move away. As the film finished and the credits started to roll she snuggled into his side, half asleep. "Careful Fluff," he said tenderly "no funny business or I'll have to get my bunny repellent out."

She laughed sleepily and pulled herself upright. "Okay, I guess I'd better start getting ready for work."

"Yeah, and I'd better head home." He smiled at her "Thank you for a great evening."

Suddenly they heard the voices of Judy's argumentative neighbours "Ooh, I think miss bunny has a _male friend_ round!"

"Ooh hoo, hey there miss bunny, how's your night going?"

"Hey shut up man, they don't want you bothering them!"

"Well nobody wants you bothering them either!"

Judy and Nick stopped listening as the two dissolved into another of their arguments. "Um, yeah, I should go." Nick said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Okay." Judy reached up and gently touched the tip of her nose against his. "Goodnight."

Nick's eyes widened in surprise, and he managed to stammer "G-goodnight!" as he backed out of the door.

Judy chuckled quietly as she heard him hurrying down the stairs. Then she got into her uniform and trudged wearily out for her night shift.

The night passed much as the previous ones had – lots of standing around watching the streets, slow patrolling with her squad, and occasionally chasing a criminal or making an arrest. They busted a drug dealer outside a club, and broke up a couple of fights, but other than that the night was pretty boring. Despite her tiredness, Judy kept feeling her face break into a grin for no apparent reason, as she remembered the best moments of her evening with Nick. Thinking about his funny smile gave her a fuzzy warm feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She watched the sun rise over the city, hoping Nick was sleeping soundly in his flat ready for the day's training. Then at nine her shift ended and she stumbled back to her room, stripping off her uniform and dumping it on the floor before climbing into bed and passing out.

She was woken a few hours later by the insistent ringing of her mobile phone. Her first thought was that it might be Nick, and she sat up in excitement, but then she saw it was an unknown number. "If this is a telemarketer I am going to be so annoyed." She muttered to herself before answering "Hello, Judy Hopps here."

"Hi, Judy, it's Clawhauser here."

"Hi Clawhauser," she said, puzzled. Something serious must have happened for him to be ringing her personal number "What's up?"

"Have you seen Nick?"

"I saw him last night…" she said.

"What time did you last see him?"

"Around midnight I guess – what's this about? Is he okay?"

"He hasn't come in to work today Judy. We've sent someone round to his flat and he's not there. You were the last person to see him."


	6. Chapter 6

Nick woke up with a groan. His head hurt and his mouth tasted like the bottom of an ashtray. Had he been drinking last night? No, he remembered, he'd spent the evening with Judy and they'd only had one beer. But what had happened after that? And whatever he was lying on felt too hard to be his bed … He sat up in alarm as he realised that the darkness around him was because of a blindfold tied over his eyes, and then fell back to the floor as he found that his hands were tied behind him.

He lay still, his heart beating fast as he tried to think. The last thing he could remember was walking away from Judy's block of flats, taking one of the alleyways that made up his normal network of shortcuts across the city. He must have been taken out somehow, probably a tranq gun – they were pretty common amongst the criminal classes as well as in the police force. But who would want him captured? Stupid question. A lot of people would want him captured for one reason or another, and a lot of those would want him out of the way for good. But who was it who had got him now? And what were they planning to do with him?

He was just debating whether or not to call out when he heard a door opening and voices talking. He lay perfectly still and listened.

A high-pitched, somewhat squeaky voice was speaking "…the Fang brothers, Jeremy, Delia, and Oscar, all since he started. And he's only been there a month. What happens if he stays on the force?"

"He won't stay long." Nick was shocked to recognise the deeper voice of his old friend Finnick. "I know Nick, and even if it was him-"

Another voice interrupted "Of course it was him – he knew all those guys, it would have been easy for him to turn them in."

The squeaky voice spoke up again "That's probably the only reason they let him in in the first place. So he could 'fess on all his old mates. Why else would they want a fox on the force?" Was that true, Nick wondered? Was that really the only reason the ZPD had accepted his application?

"If you're trying to imply something about foxes why don't you come out and say it to my face?" Finnick snarled.

"Never trust a fox, my mother taught me, and I've never met one that proved me wrong."

"Gentlemen." Nick recognised the voice of Kevin, one of Mr Big's polar bear henchmen. "Please remember that we are here to decide what to do with Nicholas, now that you have so recklessly brought him here."

"What's Mr Big's position on this?"

"Mr Big is strictly neutral." Kevin replied "The bunny is under his protection, but he has no concern for Nicholas. He simply sent me to observe the outcome of your conference. I will also remind you that it was Mr Big's intention to watch Nicholas' career rather than taking action at this juncture. He is unhappy that you have acted."

"Yeah well, that's all very well for him to say, with his protection. What about us little guys? We had to do something."

"So what will you do now? You cannot hope to keep him here for much longer without the police finding him."

"We could kill him." The squeaky voice said.

"We're not murderers. Has anyone tried bribing him?"

"We shouldn't _have_ to bribe him! He should be on our side anyway."

"Here's a radical idea;" Finnick spoke up "has anyone tried _talking_ to him?"

"He hasn't woken up yet. How did you hear about all this anyway?"

"I meant before tranquilising him and throwing him in a cellar, not as a last resort. And Trixie told me. Said she didn't want anything to do with it herself but she thought there should be an advocate for Nick here." Good old Trixie, Nick thought to himself. She had been his girlfriend for a while a few years ago, and although the break-up had been relatively friendly he hadn't seen her since.

"So you think we should just let him go waltzing back to the police with all _our_ details now do you?" the squeaky voice demanded.

"Like I said before, I don't think Nick is cut out to be a cop." Finnick replied "I'm sure he'll soon find that this isn't the right profession for him, if he hasn't already. He's a street fox, keeping the law doesn't exactly come naturally to us."

Nick was surprised at how angry he felt hearing this. Of course he could be a real cop! Just because he had been a con artist didn't mean he had to be one forever. Mammals could change. _He_ could change. Judy certainly believed that he could. Thinking about Judy sent a surge of determination through him, and he felt his tail twitch involuntarily.

"Look, I think he's waking up." Someone said.

Nick decided it would be best to play along, and so he made a show of waking up slowly, groaning and asking in a dazed voice "Where am I? What's going on?"

There was a pause, and then he heard Finnick sigh "You're amongst friends Nick. Or at least, people you used to consider friends."

"Finnick? Why am I tied up and blindfolded?"

"That wasn't my idea. Look guys, can we untie him? He won't be able to fight his way past Kevin."

"Alright." The squeaky voice said reluctantly. Nick felt his arms being untied and then his blindfold was removed. He sat up, blinking in the dusty light until his eyes adjusted. There were four mammals standing around him; Kevin, Finnick, a scrawny lynx and a frowning squirrel.

The squirrel jumped in front of him, paws on his hips "You're here because of your role in the recent arrests of several of your previous friends." His voice identified him as the squeaky speaker who had suggested Nick's murder.

"Look, give me a chance to talk will you?" Nick held his paws up placatingly "I've been in training for the last month, I haven't had a _chance_ to arrest anyone. The fact that some of my old friends have been arrested recently is a complete coincidence."

"You might not have arrested them yourself," the lynx said "but you could easily have given some information to your bunny friend – she was involved in most of the arrests."

"The only one I gave any information on was Jeremy Muncher, and-"

"Aha! You see!" the squirrel said "Eventually he'll admit to all of them, you wait and see!"

"Shut up and let me talk." Nick growled "As I said, the only one I helped with _at all_ was Jeremy, and Judy had already figured out who the guy was from watching CCTV, she just didn't have a name." he looked at Finnick, who wouldn't meet his eyes "I swear I had nothing to do with the others."

There was silence as the mammals digested this. Then the squirrel said "Look, even if we believe him – and _I_ certainly don't – when he finishes training he'll _have_ to give information on us. There's no way he can be a cop and keep his old friends out of trouble. It just won't work."

Nick wasn't about to admit it, but the squirrel had just voiced something he had been thinking himself ever since his conversation with Judy about Jeremy Muncher. He didn't want to see all his old friends in jail, but he didn't want to lie to the ZPD either. He genuinely wanted to be a good cop, but it was starting to seem like it was an impossible dream.

Just then Nick's phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket, but the squirrel was too quick for him and grabbed it out of his hand before he could even check who was calling. "who's 'Carrots'?"

Nick sighed "That's Judy."

"Leave it." Finnick said, taking the phone and checking the screen "You've got a missed call from the ZPD too." he noted.

"The police'll be on our tracks now." The lynx said "We need to decide what to do."

"Well we can't let him go back to the ZPD, and everyone's too squeamish to get rid of him for good." The squirrel said.

Finnick looked thoughtful "What if he were to promise to give up on the police and not communicate with them anymore?"

Everyone looked at Nick. He squeezed his eyes shut, thinking. He wanted to be a cop, he really did. It wasn't just that it gave him a new purpose in life, although that was definitely a big deal after he had become so cynical and jaded from life on the streets. It was that he had finally found a way to prove to everyone, himself included, that he could be more than a stereotyped fox – it was a way to justify the optimism of his eight year old self. And if he agreed to this solution he could never see Judy again. At that he made his decision, looked up and said "No. I can't make that promise."

Finnick sighed. The squirrel said "We should send him away, somewhere outside the city. Smash his phone so he can't call his bunny friend. And if he ever comes back, we can kill him."


	7. Chapter 7

Judy banged her phone down on the table in panic. She hadn't really expected Nick to answer; if he hadn't responded to the calls Clawhauser had already made then something must be seriously wrong. Normally Nick was inseparable from his phone. She tried not to let her mind wander to the scenarios which could have separated him from it. She paced around her room, haphazardly grabbing bits of her uniform and throwing them on. What if he was hurt? He could be lying in an alley somewhere, slowly bleeding out…Or worse, her subconscious whispered, he could be dead already. She shook her head viciously, trying to rid herself of the thought. This was _Nick_ , she reminded herself – the smoothest talker in Zootopia. If anyone could wriggle out of trouble it would be him.

She ran downstairs and jumped into her patrol car, switching on her radio. "Clawhauser, I'm on patrol."

"Judy…" the cheetah sounded pained "Bogo says it's not your shift yet. We've already got people out looking for him."

"You can't expect me to just sit at home!" she said loudly.

There was a muffled conversation on the other end of the radio, and then Chief Bogo's voice came through "Hopps, what exactly do you think you are doing?"

"Sir, please let me look for Nick – there's no point me worrying at home when I could be doing something useful."

Bogo sighed noisily "I take your point Hopps. But you need to meet up with one of the other patrols; I won't have you chasing round the city on your own and getting yourself into a mess through your rash behaviour."

"Sir, I wouldn't-"

"Yes you would." He interrupted her "I know exactly what you are like." His voice softened "And I know you think I'm a hard-hearted mammal, but believe me I do understand. I know that in this kind of situation you are at risk of forgetting your training, not waiting for backup, and diving in in order to save your friend. Which is admirable, but not what I need in a police office. Therefore, you will meet up with the foot patrol on 37th street, which is near where CCTV showed Wilde last. That is an order, Hopps. Clawhauser is radioing them now so they'll be expecting you."

"Okay sir." Judy said accepting his decision "Thank you."

"Good luck."

She drove to 37th and parked, quickly spotting the patrol. The officers were colleagues she knew vaguely, a rhino and an elk. They looked at her sympathetically, but didn't say anything beyond giving her the facts. Apparently CCTV showed Nick heading towards an alley at the far end of the road, but there were no cameras at the other exit of the alley. The next camera on his most likely route home was a hundred metres away, and had no sign of him. The two officers had already walked the route between the two cameras, and found nothing. There were no signs of a struggle, no blood or dropped items, no clues at all in fact. "They're checking CCTV on all other possible routes he may have taken." The elk assured her.

"And there's nothing suspicious on either of the two nearest cameras?" Judy asked "No-one else going into that alley, no one speeding away from the area?"

"There were a couple of mammals going into the alley using the same entrance as Wilde – officers have been sent to question both of them – but of course anyone could have entered from the other end, and then left the same way without being seen."

"It's probable that this was a job by hardened criminals." The rhino said "An amateur would have been no match for a ZPD mammal, even if he was only a trainee."

Judy's sensitive ears picked up on the 'was' in the rhino's sentence. Did they think he'd been killed? Or was it just poor phrasing? She didn't want to ask.

The three officers spent the next few hours knocking on doors and asking if any of the residents had seen or heard anything during the night. None of them had. In the middle of the afternoon Clawhauser radioed to let them know that the two mammals that had been seen in the area seemed to have no connection to Nick's disappearance, and hadn't seen anything suspicious.

At 5pm the rhino and elk took Judy back to the station with them, and encouraged her to eat something. Bogo caught her in the corridor as she was heading back out "Hopps, you look terrible. Get some sleep before your shift – you can sleep in one of the bunks here, and we'll let you know if any developments occur."

Judy wanted to argue, but the truth was that she was so tired she could feel her ears drooping, and it wouldn't help anyone if she was too tired to work. Eventually she nodded, eyes downcast. Bogo put a hand on her shoulder and steered her gently to the bunkroom.

She curled up on a hard bunk, and waited until Bogo's footsteps had faded down the corridor before she let her tears fall. Nick's disappearance forced her to realise how much he meant to her. He was more than just a colleague, more even than a friend. He had been part of her biggest adventure, and it was their partnership that had saved the city. How could she cope if something had happened to him? How would she manage without their jokes and nicknames, without ever seeing his smile again?


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note: Hi guys, thanks for reading so far! This chapter was pretty tough to write and might be a bit of a tear-jerker, but stick with me to the end of it because I promise it'll be worth it!**

Nearly a week had passed since Nick had disappeared, and there was still no news. Judy had lost weight and there were permanent dark bags under her eyes from not sleeping or eating enough. Her determination to find her partner kept her going, but deep inside her a voice she refused to acknowledge kept whispering that he was gone forever.

The ZPD had obtained a record of many of Nick's contacts from his con-artist days and they were slowly working their way through the list, trying to find out if any of them had any connection to his disappearance.

Judy spent almost all her time either at the station or on patrol – it had been at least 24 hours since she was last in her own rooms. She couldn't bear the thought that she might miss an important new development if she wasn't there. One afternoon Bogo found her in the office as she was straining her eyes going through CCTV footage again.

She braced herself for another lecture on how she was overworking herself, but it didn't come. Instead, Bogo took a deep breath and said "Judy. Come with me please."

She heard him use her first name. He _never_ used her first name. "What is it? What's happened?" she said, suddenly feeling like she was gasping for air.

"There's something you need to see. If you come to my office we can have some privacy." He obviously wasn't going to say any more, and Judy hurried after him, feeling as though her heart was beating so hard it would burst right out of her chest. She tried to swallow, but found that her mouth was dry and she couldn't force her muscles to move against the sudden pain gripping her throat.

As they reached Bogo's office he held the door open for her. "Please take a seat."

She climbed up onto the seat facing his desk, and he sat down opposite her. He took another deep breath. "Judy, I often have to break bad news to mammals, but that doesn't make it any easier. And Nick was one of our most promising trainees." He paused "It's the worst news, I'm afraid. One of our patrols has found what we think is his body."

"Think?" Judy squeaked, trying to focus on Bogo's face as her eyesight blurred.

"They only found his body, he-…he had been decapitated. And the body is so bloated from the river that his paw prints are unrecognisable. But his wallet was found with the body. And …I'm sorry Judy, but we need you to identify if the clothes he was wearing are the ones you last saw him in."

Judy wiped her eyes, not trusting herself to speak, and nodded.

"You don't need to view the body." Bogo said gently. "I have a photo of the clothes." He held out a photo of a shirt and trousers laid out on a bright white worktop. They were definitely the ones Nick had been wearing. Judy had a sudden flashback to that night cuddling up on the sofa against his Hawaiian print shirt – the shirt that had been found on his dead body.

"So…so did they k-kill him straight away?" she asked in a whisper. She needed to know if he had suffered.

"Well, we haven't had the results from the autopsy yet," Bogo said carefully, "But there were some other marks on the body. It looked as though he had been in a fight. And there was a knife found near the point where the body was found."

"Fingerprints?" she asked, her brain working even as she struggled to accept the news.

"We're analysing it." Bogo passed her a box of tissues wordlessly. After a struggle to hold herself together she dissolved into tears, hearing the sobs as though from a distance, unable to believe that this was really happening to her, that her partner could really be gone. Eventually her tears slowed, her face feeling hot and feverish. Bogo waited respectfully for her to calm down, his head in his hands. "You need to go home." He said. "Do you have anyone I can call to look after you?"

"No…my closest friend was N-Nick." She said, and started to cry again.

"Maybe you should go back to you parents for a while. We can manage without you for a few weeks, and of course we'll keep you updated if we find any new evidence as to who may be responsible for this."

"Okay." She said quietly, blowing her nose "I'll go back to my rooms and get some of my things, and then I'll catch the train."

"I'll get someone to drive you to your flat."

The next few hours passed in a blur for Judy. Back in her bedroom she stuffed a few clothes into a bag, unable to hold her tears back as she stumbled around weeping. At the station she bought a ticket and boarded the train back to Bunnyburrow, barely noticing the stares of her fellow passengers. Her body felt dehydrated and ill from crying for so long.

As the train pulled into Bunnyburrow she saw her parents waiting on the station. She had texted them the news and then ignored their calls, not wanting to talk about it on the phone. Her mother pulled her into a strong hug as she stumbled off the train, and they bundled her into the truck and back to the house. Her mother made her a mug of hot sweet tea and watched her drink it, and then tucked her into bed and sat stroking her fur as she had when Judy was a child.

Judy felt as though her insides had been wrung out so tightly that all her emotions were used up. Soon she fell into a deep exhausted sleep.

The next morning she woke up and was puzzled to find herself in her childhood bed. Then she recalled the events of the previous day and felt the tears welling up again. Eventually she dragged herself out of bed and into the dining room. Her parents fussed over her, trying to get her to eat breakfast, but she only managed a few mouthfuls of cereal. Then she crawled back into bed.

She was reading her favourite childhood book when her phone rang. She picked it up "Hello?" she said hoarsely.

"Judy, it's Bogo here."

"Have you found the mammal that did it?"

"We have. His fingerprints match those on the knife that we found, and he was seen dragging a large sack in that area by the river a few nights after Nick disappeared."

"Who it is?" Judy asked impatiently.

"A fennec fox, known as Finnick." Judy gasped, but Bogo was still talking "Of course it will be a few days before we can get all the evidence together for a trial, but there is really no doubt he will be convicted. The sentence will most likely be the death penalty."

"Finnick?" Judy said in disbelief. The short fox had always been grumpy, but had seemed fundamentally good-hearted. Certainly not the sort of mammal that would murder a friend.

"Do you know him?"

"I…met him once or twice. He used to work with Nick."

"Yes, he was on the list of contacts. We had spoken to him earlier in the week but there was no evidence to link him to the crime until now." He paused "I have to go now Judy. Hope your parents are looking after you well. Goodbye."

Judy put the phone down slowly, her mind whirling. Who could you trust in this brutal world? If a good, caring mammal like Nick could be murdered by someone he had considered a friend, then who was safe?

Suddenly she heard the screech of a car braking on the gravel outside the house. She got up to look out of her window, and saw a large black car parked outside. The driver got out, and she recognised him as Mr Big's chauffeur, Mr Manchas.

She heard him ring the doorbell as she hurried downstairs. She pulled open the door, and Mr Manchas doffed his cap. "Officer Hopps, Miss Fru Fru would like to speak with you."

The window of the car was wound down and Fru Fru jumped up onto the ledge "Judeee!" she called out "Get in, we're going for a drive."

"Not now, Fru Fru. I'm not in the mood."

"Judy!" the little shrew sounded exasperated "I need to talk to you about something important! It's a matter of life and death!"

Judy walked over to the open window. She knew Fru Fru had a penchant for drama however, and she was expecting it to be nothing more serious than a particularly desirable pair of jeggings which had sold out. As she reached the car door the shrew beckoned her down to eye level, and whispered into Judy's capacious ear "Nick isn't dead!"


	9. Chapter 9

Nick's eyes kept closing involuntarily as he rode the elevator up the mine shaft and out into the fresh air. He was just finishing a ten hour shift, and he was exhausted. They had found a new gold seam in the mine early that morning, and the manager had kept the whole team working almost non-stop until now.

He had been working in the mine for nearly a week now; he knew that Mr Big had suggested the job here as a way to keep him out of the city until a more permanent decision could be made. Nick had known that Mr Big had a few shady business interests outside Zootopia, and it had often been rumoured that a gold mine was one of them, but he had no idea of the scale of the mining going on here until he actually arrived. The mammals he was working with were a rough bunch, and he had the impression that many of them were there to avoid the law themselves.

It wasn't as though he was a prisoner, exactly, but he definitely got the impression that any attempt to leave would be treated severely. On the one paw he was being fed, housed and paid relatively well, but on the other they had taken his phone and barred him from any contact with the rest of the world.

As the elevator doors opened he stumbled out into the large open area on top of the mine works, feeling the cool breeze ruffle his fur in relief. It was hot down so deep below the surface, and the work was much more physical than Nick was used to. He walked slowly over to the cluster of low wooden buildings, showered and grabbed a meal from the canteen before going to the dormitory and collapsing onto his bunk.

Despite his weariness he found it difficult to fall asleep, his limbs so over-tired that they twitched and ached. He found his thoughts turning, as always, to Judy. He wondered what she was doing now. Still looking for him, he hoped. He wondered if she would find him and come heroically to the rescue. He smiled to himself at that image – Judy bursting through the gates in her form-fitting blue uniform, holding up her badge and saying "ZPD! We're here for Nick Wilde!" Of course, she would be insufferable for weeks afterwards if she had to come to his rescue. He would put it up with it all though, he thought, just to see her again.

He remembered how they had first met, how they had collaborated (reluctantly at first) on the Night Howler case. And then that night in the museum when they had tricked Bellwether with the blueberries and their acting skills. It had been difficult for him to act that ferociously, especially with Judy looking so scared. And with her injured leg as well.

As soon as Bellwether was arrested Judy had been whisked off to hospital to get the torn skin and muscle stitched up. Nick had had to stay and answer Bogo's questions, and by the time he arrived at the hospital Judy was sitting in bed with her leg bandaged and comfortably propped up.

He had sidled into the room with a big bunch of flowers he'd bought from a nearby stall, feeling unaccountably shy. "Nick!" she squealed at him before he had a chance to say anything "You'll have to come over here so that I can hug you – they won't let me stand on this for a few days."

He moved awkwardly over to the side of the bed, and she reached out to wrap her little arms tightly around his waist. "Oof!" he said, as she squeezed the breath out of him "Well done for solving the case, Carrots. Here." He held the flowers out to her "I brought you these. To say congrats. And get well soon." He paused "And thank you."

"What for?" she asked, letting go of him and burying her nose in the flowers.

"For getting me involved in this dumb case." He smirked "I may as well admit it Carrots, life just isn't as exciting without you blackmailing me and dragging me round the city."

She placed the flowers carefully on her bedside table and smiled up at him "I know I'm a police bunny and you're a con-fox, but do you think we can still be friends? When I'm back in action?"

"Who are you calling a con-fox?" Nick asked, acting offended as he sat on the side of her bed "You're talking to the latest ZPD recruit!"

"Really?" she yelped, her eyes shining.

"Well I haven't officially handed in my application yet, but I had a word with old Bogo out there, and he seemed to think it could work."

"Oh Nick! That's wonderful!" and she hugged him again, if possible even tighter than before "You'll be a great cop, I just know it!"

Nick smiled in the darkness of the dusty dormitory. He could still remember the feel of Judy's arms wrapping tightly around him. She was much more physical than most of the mammals he was used to working with, never afraid to hug him or kiss him on the cheek. Or punch him on the arm, he remembered. He liked it. All of it. Just spending time with her always made his day seem better. He hadn't let her know it very often though, always hiding behind a mask of sarcasm. When he got back to the city, he resolved, he would let her know just how much she meant to him.


End file.
